The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-03-23
THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE
COMMISSION
Appointed by the President-Their
Names and Public Careers.

WASHINGTON, March 22-The President
has appointed the following Interstate CON-
merce commissioners:
Thomas NJ. Cooley Of Michigan for term
of six years.
William r. Morrison of Illinois, for term
of five years
Augustus Schoonmaker of New York, for
a.term Of four years.
Aldace F. Walker of Vermont, for term
OF three years.
Walter A. Bragg of Alabama, for term
of two years.
The fact that Mr.. Cooley's name heads
the list does not necessarily denote that he
VIII be chairman of the commission, as it
must elect its own chairman. Following is a
sketch of the public careers of the men COM
prising the commission, except ex-Repre-
sentative Morrison, whose public services
are so generally known as to need no de-
scripti0n.
Thomas NJ. Cooley was born in Attica, n
Y, in 1924; studied law in that State and
removed to Michigan in 1913, where he
has since resided. In 1857 he was elected
compiler of the State laws, and in 1853 re-
porter of the Supreme Court. In 1859 he
was chosen by the regents as a commits
sioner to organize the law department of the
University of Michigan, and he has ever
since been connected with it. 1t 1864 he was
elected a justice of the Supreme Court, and
was reelected in 1869 and 1877. He was
nominated by the Republicans for re-elec-
tion in 1885, and was defeated. Mr.. Cody is
the author of numerous standard legal
works. He was recently appointed by
United States Judge Gresham receiver of
the Wabash Railroad company.
Aldace f. Walker is a Vermont lawyer
about "A years old, and Republican He
studied law with Senator Edmunds, served
as a colonel in the Union army, and has
since been practicing law at Rutland, vt.
lie has taken leading part in framing leg
lslatlon to solve the railway problem, and
had given much study to the question.
August SchOonmaker of Kingston, New
York, was born in Ulster county, N. Y,
March 2, 1928, and is lawyer in active
practice. He has always been a Democrat
He has been county judge of his county
Court judge. He was State Senator during
Governor Tllden's term as Governor, and
was one of the leaders of the Legislature on
whom Mr.. Tilden relied to carry out his re-
form measures. He was always close per-
sonal political friend of Mr. Tilden. Mr..
Schoonmaker was Attorney General of
New York State in 1877 and 1879, succeeding
Mr. Falrchlld, the present Acting Secretary
OF the Treasury. In 1876 he was presented
by the anti-Tammany delegation from New
York in the Democratic State Conven-
ton as their candidate for Governor
and was delegate to the national
conventions in 1876 and 1880, and also to the
Chicago convention in 1874.
Walter l.. Bragg was born in Alabama in
1888, but resided in Arkansas from 1843 to
1861. He was educated at Harvard Univer-
sity, at the Cambridge Law School, and
practiced law in Arkansas for some years.
At the close of the war he settled in Ala
bama and was for some years the law part
ner Of General Morgan He has been a
leading Democrat in that Site for
some years, and has served as / alto lal dele
gate, presidential elector and member of the
Democratic National Committee In 1881 he
was made president of the Alabama State
railroad commission, and served in that po-
sition four years.